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X-Ray Fluorescence Applications in Mudrock Characterization: Investigations Into Middle Devonian Stratigraphy, Appalachian Basin, USA

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X-Ray Fluorescence Applications in Mudrock Characterization: Investigations Into Middle Devonian Stratigraphy, Appalachian Basin, USA Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2019 X-Ray Fluorescence Applications in Mudrock Characterization: Investigations into Middle Devonian Stratigraphy, Appalachian Basin, USA Keithan Garrett Martin West Virginia University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Martin, Keithan Garrett, "X-Ray Fluorescence Applications in Mudrock Characterization: Investigations into Middle Devonian Stratigraphy, Appalachian Basin, USA" (2019). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 7462. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/7462 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. X-Ray Fluorescence Applications in Mudrock Characterization: Investigations into Middle Devonian Stratigraphy, Appalachian Basin, USA Keithan G. Martin Dissertation submitted to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geology Timothy Carr, Ph.D., Chair Dustin Crandall, Ph.D. Dengliang Gao, Ph.D. Shikha Sharma, Ph.D. Amy Weislogel, Ph.D. Department of Geology and Geography Morgantown, West Virginia 2019 Keywords: Geology, Mudrock, Shale, X-Ray Fluorescence, Natural Fractures, Organic Carbon, Trace Metals Copyright 2019 Keithan Martin Abstract X-Ray Fluorescence Applications in Mudrock Characterization: Investigations into Middle Devonian Stratigraphy, Appalachian Basin, USA Keithan G. Martin Mudrocks are characterized by nanometer-scale pore sizes and nano-darcy permeability, which plays a significant role in hydrocarbon flow during production. Resulting from these characteristics, mudrocks were exclusively considered a source rock, which charged overlying, more porous mediums. Hydraulic fracturing, a technology used to create artificial fractures to liberate hydrocarbons from the reservoir, enabled natural gas to be produced from mudrock reservoirs economically. Over the last fifteen years, this technology motivated research efforts to understand reservoir characteristics of mudrock. These investigations significantly improved our knowledge of mudrock systems, but have also highlighted key areas that are undeveloped and/or where conflicting hypotheses exist. Utilizing wave-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and high- resolution handheld energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (hhEDXRF) datasets collected from seven middle Devonian core throughout the Appalachian basin, this dissertation focuses on three areas of mudrock research: (1) development of mudrock calibrations to increase the analytical quality of hhEDXRF datasets, (2) investigation into the relationship between chemical composition of the host rock and natural fracture presence, and (3) assessment of the relationship between paleo-depositional conditions and organic carbon enrichment. This research indicates that lithology-specific calibrations significantly increase the analytical quality of hhEDXRF datasets, natural fractures preferential concentrate in zones of similar composition in a predictable manner, and an interplay of limited dilution and a robust anoxia-productivity feedback mechanism controlled organic carbon enrichment within middle Devonian mudrock of the Appalachian basin. Acknowledgements This research was supported by West Virginia University (WVU) Department of Geology and Geography, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), West Virginia Geological Survey (WVGS), Triana Energy, and Eclipse Resources. Funding sources included the U.S. Department of Energy – NETL (as a part of their Marcellus Shale Energy and Environmental Laboratory (MSEEL) project (DOE Award No.: DE-FE0024297) and WVU Department of Geology and Geography. I would like to thank my advisor and mentor, Dr. Timothy Carr, for accepting me into his research group, providing me with a research assistantship, and for giving me creative liberty within my research. I would also like to thank the following past graduate students at WVU for their friendship and support; Liaosha Song, Payam Kavousi, and Thomas Paronish. My family has encouraged and supported me throughout my graduate studies at WVU, and I thank them very much for this support. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Kaiti, for supporting me over the last three years and for taking care of our son, Harvey, during the final semester of my PhD. iii Preface – A note on organization This manuscript is comprised of three stand-alone papers/chapters (chapters 2-4). Chapter 2, titled “Developing a quantitative regression-based mudrock calibration for a handheld energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer”, is under review with a peer-reviewed journal and will be referred to as “Martin and Carr (under review)” when referenced in following chapters. Chapter 3, titled “Relationships between Lineal Fracture Intensity and Chemical Composition in the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin,” was accepted for publication by Interpretation, a peer- reviewed journal co-published by Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), and was published November 2019. To fit the style of this manuscript, table and figure numberings have been altered, but no substantive changes have been made to the publication. Chapter 4, titled “Controls on Organic Matter Accumulation and Preservation: An Investigation into the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin, USA”, is in preparation for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. iv Data Availability All supporting data for this dissertation are located at http://mseel.org/research. v Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii Preface – A note on organization ................................................................................................... iv Data Availability ............................................................................................................................. v List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ ix List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xv 1. Overview of Chapters .............................................................................................................. 1 2. Developing a quantitative regression-based mudrock calibration for a handheld energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer ................................................................................... 3 2.1 Abstract ............................................................................................................................ 3 2.2 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 4 2.2.1 Handheld EDXRF technology in geological sciences .............................................. 4 2.2.2 Study Area and Data ................................................................................................. 7 2.2.3 XRF Theory: EDXRF vs WDXRF ........................................................................... 8 2.3 Equipment and Sampling ................................................................................................. 9 2.3.1 Analyzer Specifications ............................................................................................ 9 2.3.2 WDXRF Specifications and Sample Preparation ................................................... 11 2.3.3 Defining clusters via Hierarchical Cluster Analysis ............................................... 13 2.4 Results and Discussion ................................................................................................... 16 2.4.1 Mudrock Calibration – hhEDXRF vs. WDXRF ..................................................... 16 2.4.2 Analyzer Drift and Precision .................................................................................. 21 2.4.3 Calibration Accuracy .............................................................................................. 22 vi 2.5 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 26 2.6 References ...................................................................................................................... 28 2.7 Appendix A .................................................................................................................... 33 3. 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